In a move that would have got him absolutely no cred in prison, Slipknot’s Clown has apparently changed his name for the time being, until this international killer clown craze dies off.

Known by the Government as Shawn Crahan but Clown to us maggots, the percussionist will only go by Mime for the next little while, or at least “until the coast is clear”. The decision was made on account of the massive increase of clowns seen walking around with knives and machetes, not just stateside, but in the UK and in our own Aussie backyards as well.

Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor jokingly laid out the plan on BBC2’s topical comedy show No Such Thing As The News (Via NME), confirming that, “Even our dear Clown has downgraded himself to Mime, in order to distance himself from these hedonistic doppelgängers until the coast is clear.

“Remember, a real clown doesn’t need a knife to intimidate – just a bat and a good cold stare.”

Taylor has clarified his comments on Twitter though, saying, “No, Clown did NOT change his name. That was a FAKE statement for ‘QI Podcast’ THAT I WROTE for humor’s sake,” so unfortunately the name change isn’t actually legit.

It’s a busy time for Crahan right now. Not only is his identity being threatened, but he also announced his directorial debut in Officer Downe, a film staring Sons Of Anarchy actor Kim Coates, and based on the graphic novel of a police officer killer on duty, then brought back to life to save crime.